LANSING House to consider death penalty proposal...

June 09, 2006

LANSINGHouse to consider death penalty proposal The latest attempt to allow the death penalty in Michigan was formally introduced in the state House on Wednesday. The measure would allow for capital punishment to be considered in cases involving first- degree murder. The proposed constitutional amendment would have to go through several steps to become law. It first would need to be approved by two-thirds of lawmakers in both the state House and Senate. Then it would go to Michigan voters for their consideration. Michigan has banned the death penalty for more than 150 years. Several attempts to allow capital punishment in certain cases have failed. A 2004 petition drive sought a statewide vote on allowing the death penalty for those convicted of killing police or corrections officers. The initiative failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Governor expected to sign steroids bill The Michigan Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation aimed at keeping steroids and performance-enhancing drugs out of schools, despite criticism that it doesn't require random testing of athletes. The Senate voted 37-1 to send the main bill in the package to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is expected to sign it. One measure would require school boards and charter schools across the state to establish a policy on steroids. It also would order the state Department of Community Health to develop a list of banned substances and make it available to school districts. FLINT, MICH.Crime spree killer gets life without parole Admitted killer Patrick Selepak was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without parole for the murder of a Genesee County man during a deadly southeast Michigan crime spree. Selepak, 27, has admitted shooting and strangling Winfield Johnson Jr., 53, who was killed Feb. 21 at his home in Vienna Township. Selepak pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and other charges last month. Selepak, of Macomb County's Chesterfield Township, has also said he would plead guilty to murdering a Macomb County couple, Scott and Melissa Berels, of New Baltimore, Mich., at their home a few days before Johnson's death. During the sentencing hearing, Selepak turned to apologize to Johnson's family, but family members said they did not believe him. Life in prison without parole is the mandatory term for first-degree murder. Selepak and Samantha Bachynski, 20, of Imlay City, Mich., have been charged in the three deaths, but Selepak has refused to implicate Bachynski. Bachynski faces trial Aug. 8 for the Johnson killing. She also has pleaded not guilty in the Berels case. Selepak's case drew statewide scrutiny when Michigan corrections officials admitted he should have been in prison at the time of the killings. DETROIT911 operators charged with ignoring boy, 5 Two 911 operators who authorities say failed to respond when a 5-year-old boy called the emergency line to say his mother had collapsed have been charged with willful neglect of duty, the county prosecutor said Wednesday. Sharon Nichols, 43, and Terri Sutton, 47, face up to a year in jail if convicted of the misdemeanor. The operators wrongly assumed that the call was a prank, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said at a news conference. "Neither operator treated this as an emergency," she said. Detroit police investigated the operators' actions and say disciplinary action against them is pending. It could range from suspension without pay to termination, police said in a statement. Worthy refused to say if the two should have been fired but added, "They should not be taking 911 calls."